JP2015099450A - Information display system, information display device, and information display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information display system, information display device, and information display method enabling the simple setting of the frequency of display for each class of information to be displayed.SOLUTION: A display setting unit sets the frequency of display according to the class of contents; a display control unit 230 determines display order of the contents from the frequency of display for each content class, the number of contents for each content class, and content IDs, specifies a content ID of a content to be displayed now, and displays the content according to the specified content ID on an operation panel 27.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information display system, an information display device, and an information display method.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a technique for displaying information such as advertisements or news on a copying machine to effectively use a printing waiting time is known. For example, a centralized management device connected to a copier via a public telephone line distributes information such as advertisements and news to the copier, and the copier functions not only as an image forming apparatus but also as an information terminal. Such techniques are known. Information displayed on such an information terminal may include not only external information such as advertisements and news, but also internal information such as notifications and communications. However, when the type of information increases, scheduling for how often and in what order each information is displayed becomes complicated. As a method for simplifying this scheduling, there has been proposed a method for automatically creating a broadcast schedule for a plurality of contents in which broadcast application conditions such as time zone, place, and number of broadcasts are specified in detail (see Patent Document 1). . Specifically, (1) a frame generation step for generating a frame (a time section during which content can be broadcast) by dividing the operation time zone of the display terminal, and (2) a content is allocated to each frame and the number of times of broadcast is described A broadcast schedule for a plurality of types of content is automatically created by an allocation step for generating the content allocation table and (3) a step of generating a broadcast plan for designating a content broadcast time for each frame based on the content allocation table.

  However, since the method described in Patent Document 1 is based on a display-only terminal that performs display throughout the operation time, it cannot be used in a copying machine (information terminal) that displays information during copying. This is because it is difficult to predict when a user performs copying, and even if a broadcast schedule is created in advance, only specific information is displayed depending on the timing of copying, or the information is displayed from the middle of the information. Because there is.

  On the other hand, there is a demand for an administrator of an office or the like to adjust the display frequency of internal information and external information. For example, in offices that place importance on information collection, external information is displayed more frequently, and in offices where PCs (Personal Computers) are not distributed to all employees, internal information is displayed more frequently, depending on the type of information. It is desirable to be able to adjust the frequency.

  An object of the present invention is made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information display system, an information display device, and an information display method capable of easily setting a display frequency for each type of information to be displayed. And

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention is an information display system including a content management server storing content and one or more information display devices, the content management server Acquisition means for acquiring the content distributed from the display, display means for displaying the content acquired by the acquisition means, first setting means for setting a ratio of display frequency for each type of content, and the first Control means for causing the display means to display the content based on a ratio of the display frequency for each type of the content set by one setting means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily set the display frequency for each type of information to be displayed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information display system and the hardware configuration of the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the application of the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of the operation unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of the setting unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the layout configuration of the setting screen displayed on the operation panel of the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an information display operation of the information display system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the display order table. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the layout configuration of the setting screen displayed on the operation panel of the MFP according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the layout configuration of the setting screen displayed on the operation panel of the MFP according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information display system according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an information display operation of the information display system according to the fourth embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an information display system, an information display device, and an information display method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the information display device according to the present invention is applied to a multi-function peripheral (MFP) having at least two functions among a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. Although an example is shown, it is not limited to this, It can apply also to other information display apparatuses, such as a portable information terminal.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments, and constituent elements in the following embodiments are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, substantially the same, and so-called equivalent ranges. Is included. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes of the components can be made without departing from the scope of the following embodiments.

(First embodiment)
<Overall configuration of information display system and hardware configuration of MFP>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information display system and the hardware configuration of the MFP according to the first embodiment. The overall configuration of the information display system 500 and the hardware configuration of the MFP 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information display system 500 is configured by connecting an MFP 1, an external server 30, and an internal server 31 via a network 40 such as an internal LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. .

  The MFP 1 is connected via a network 40 to an external server 30 and an internal server 31 as content management servers that provide content to be described later.

  The external server 30 and the internal server 31 are server devices that manage content. Here, the content indicates information to be notified to the user, such as information on advertisements, in-house notifications, and devices. The type and number of contents are arbitrary.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 1 includes a main body 10 that realizes various functions such as a copy function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and a printer function, and an operation unit 20 that receives an operation input from a user. The main body 10 and the operation unit 20 are connected to be communicable with each other via a dedicated communication path 50. The main body 10 performs an operation according to the operation input received by the operation unit 20. The main body 10 can also communicate with an external device such as a client PC, and can also perform an operation according to an instruction received from the external device. The communication path 50 may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard communication path, but may be a communication path of any communication standard regardless of wired or wireless.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the main body 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 14, a communication I / O. An F (interface) 15, a connection I / F 16, and an engine unit 17 are provided, and these are connected to each other via a system bus 18.

  The CPU 11 controls the overall operation of the main body 10. The CPU 11 implements various functions such as the copy function, the scanner function, the facsimile function, and the printer function described above by executing programs stored in the ROM 12 or the HDD 14 using the RAM 13 as a work area (work area).

  The communication I / F 15 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as a client PC. The connection I / F 16 is an interface for communicating with the operation unit 20 via the communication path 50.

  The engine unit 17 is hardware that executes general-purpose information processing for realizing a copy function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and a printer function. For example, the engine unit 17 includes a scanner that scans and reads an image of a document, a plotter that performs printing on a sheet material such as paper, and a facsimile unit that performs facsimile communication. Further, the engine unit 17 may include an optional device such as a finisher for sorting printed sheet materials or an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) for automatically feeding a document.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the operation unit 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 20 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a flash memory 24 (storage means), a communication I / F 25, a connection I / F 26, and an operation panel 27 (display means). These are connected to each other via a system bus 28.

  The CPU 21 controls the operation of the entire operation unit 20. The CPU 21 controls the entire operation unit 20 by executing a program stored in the ROM 22 or the flash memory 24 using the RAM 23 as a work area (work area). Further, the CPU 21 realizes various functions to be described later such as display of information (image) according to the operation input received from the user.

  The communication I / F 25 is an interface for communicating with the external server 30 and the internal server 31 via the network 40. The connection I / F 26 is an interface for communicating with the main body 10 via the communication path 50.

  The operation panel 27 receives various operation inputs by the user and displays various information (for example, information corresponding to the received operation input, information indicating the operation status of the MFP 1, information indicating a setting state, and the like). The operation panel 27 is constituted by a liquid crystal display (LCD) having a touch panel function. The operation panel 27 may be an organic EL (Organic Electro-Luminescence) display device having a touch panel function. Further, the operation panel 27 may be an apparatus configured by an operation unit such as a hardware key and a display unit such as a lamp in addition to or instead of any of these display devices.

<Software configuration of MFP>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the application of the MFP according to the first embodiment. The software configuration of the MFP 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 10 includes an application layer 101, a service layer 102, and an OS (Operating System) layer 103. The entities of the application layer 101, the service layer 102, and the OS layer 103 are various software stored in the ROM 12, the HDD 14, and the like. Various functions are provided by the CPU 11 executing these software.

  The software of the application layer 101 is application software for operating a hardware resource (for example, the engine unit 17) to provide a predetermined function (in the following description, it may be simply referred to as “application”). For example, examples of the application include a copy application for providing a copy function, a scanner application for providing a scanner function, a facsimile application for providing a facsimile function, and a printer application for providing a printer function. .

  The software of the service layer 102 is software that is interposed between the application layer 101 and the OS layer 103 and provides an interface for using hardware resources included in the main body 10 for the application. Specifically, it is software for providing a function of accepting and arbitrating operation requests for hardware resources from an application. The operation request received by the service layer 102 includes requests such as reading by a scanner and printing by a plotter. Further, the function as an interface by the service layer 102 is provided not only to the application layer 101 of the main body 10 but also to the application layer 201 of the operation unit 20. That is, the application layer 201 of the operation unit 20 can also realize a function using the hardware resources of the main body 10 through the interface function of the service layer 102.

  The software of the OS layer 103 is basic software for providing a basic function for controlling hardware resources of the main body 10. The software of the service layer 102 converts the operation request of the hardware resource from various applications into a command that can be interpreted by the OS layer 103 and passes it to the OS layer 103, and the software of the OS layer 103 executes the command Thus, the hardware resource performs an operation according to the operation request of the application.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the operation unit 20 includes an application layer 201, a service layer 202, and an OS layer 203. The application layer 201, the service layer 202, and the OS layer 203 included in the operation unit 20 have the same hierarchical structure as that of the main body 10 side. However, the functions provided by the applications in the application layer 201 and the types of operation requests that can be accepted by the service layer 202 are different from those on the main body 10 side.

  The application of the application layer 201 includes software for operating a hardware resource provided in the operation unit 20 to provide a predetermined function, and functions provided in the main body 10 (copy function, scanner function, facsimile function, printer function, etc.) Software for providing a UI (user interface) function for performing operations and displaying. As shown in FIG. 3, the application layer 201 includes a copy UI application 201a, a facsimile UI application 201b, an energy saving return UI application 201c, and a signage client application 201d.

  The copy UI application 201a is an application that provides a UI function for performing operations and display related to the copy function. The facsimile UI application 201b is an application that provides a UI function for performing operations and display related to the facsimile function. The energy saving return UI application 201c is an application that provides a UI function for performing setting and display related to energy saving return. The signage client application 201d is an application that displays content according to a user operation and an operation of the MFP 1. Further, as will be described later, the signage client application 201d acquires (downloads) content from the external server 30 and the internal server 31, and selects and displays the content according to the state of the MFP 1. In addition, the application which the application layer 201 has is not limited to the application mentioned above.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in order to maintain the independence of functions, the software of the OS layer 103 on the main body 10 side and the software of the OS layer 203 on the operation unit 20 side are different from each other. That is, the main body 10 and the operation unit 20 operate independently of each other with different operating systems. For example, Linux (registered trademark) can be used as software for the OS layer 103 on the main body 10 side, and Android (registered trademark) can be used as software on the OS layer 203 on the operation unit 20 side.

  As described above, in MFP 1 according to the present embodiment, main body 10 and operation unit 20 operate with different operating systems. Therefore, communication between the main body 10 and the operation unit 20 is performed as communication between different devices, not communication between processes in the same device. The communication operation includes an operation (command communication) for transmitting an operation input received by the operation unit 20 from the user to the main body 10, an operation for the main body 10 to notify the operation unit 20 of an event, and the like. The function of the main body 10 can be used when the operation unit 20 performs command communication with the main body 10. The event notified from the main body 10 to the operation unit 20 includes the execution status of the operation in the main body 10 and the contents set on the main body 10 side. The MFP 1 according to the present embodiment supplies power to the operation unit 20 from the main body 10 via the communication path 50, and performs power control on the operation unit 20 independently of power control on the main body 10. be able to.

<Block Configuration of Operation Unit 20 and Setting Unit 220>
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of the operation unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of the setting unit. The functional block configuration of the operation unit 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 4, and the functional block configuration of the setting unit 220 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the operation unit 20 includes a content acquisition unit 210 (acquisition unit), a setting unit 220, and a display control unit 230 (control unit). The content acquisition unit 210, the setting unit 220, and the display control unit 230 are realized by executing the signage client application 201d illustrated in FIG. In FIG. 4, only the functional units realized by the signage client application 201d are displayed, but the functional units included in the operation unit 20 are not limited to these. Further, the content acquisition unit 210, the setting unit 220, and the display control unit 230 described above may be realized by execution of a program by the CPU 21, or may be realized by a hardware circuit.

  The content acquisition unit 210 acquires content from the external server 30 and the internal server 31 and stores the acquired content in the flash memory 24. Specifically, the content acquisition unit 210 receives a content acquisition instruction from the CPU 21, accesses the external server 30 and the internal server 31 via the network 40, and downloads content from the external server 30 and the internal server 31. The downloaded content is stored in the flash memory 24 together with a content type (which will be described later) indicating which of the external server 30 and the internal server 31 is downloaded. Further, the content acquisition unit 210 executes content acquisition operation at a preset time. Note that the content acquisition timing is not limited to the above-described time, and may be set to other timings such as when the MFP 1 is activated.

  The setting unit 220 performs settings related to content acquisition operations and display operations from the external server 30 and the internal server 31. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the setting unit 220 sets a display frequency according to a timing setting unit 2201 that sets a content acquisition timing, a server specification unit 2202 that sets a server that acquires content, and a content type. A display setting unit 2203 (first setting means). Details of the setting operation by the setting unit 220 will be described later.

  The display control unit 230 determines the content display order, and causes the operation panel 27 to display the content according to the determined order. Details of the content display operation by the display control unit 230 will be described later.

<Setting Operation by Setting Unit 220>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the layout configuration of the setting screen displayed on the operation panel of the MFP according to the first embodiment. The setting operation on the setting screen 270 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The administrator of the MFP 1 invokes the setting unit 220 by, for example, operating and inputting a predetermined administrator code on the operation panel 27 of the operation unit 20 to display the setting screen 270 shown in FIG. On the setting screen 270, the setting screen 270 can be enlarged or reduced by scrolling the setting screen 270 up and down or performing so-called pinch-in and pinch-out operations by performing a so-called flick operation on the operation panel 27 that is a touch panel.

  As illustrated in FIG. 6, the setting screen 270 includes a timing setting operation unit 2701 for setting content acquisition timing, a server designation setting operation unit 2702 for setting a server for acquiring content, and a content type. A display frequency setting operation unit 2703 for setting the display frequency is displayed.

  First, setting of content acquisition timing will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the timing setting operation unit 2701 of the setting screen 270 displays a timing type setting operation unit 2701a, a time setting operation unit 2701b, and a setting execution button 2701c. The setting operation by the administrator in the timing setting operation unit 2701 is realized by the timing setting unit 2201.

  The content acquisition timing can be specified by two methods. The first method is a method of acquiring at a specified time, and the second method is a method of acquiring when the MFP 1 is activated.

  In the case of the method of acquiring at the specified time, the CPU 21 of the operation unit 20 checks the clock built in the operation unit 20 at a cycle of one minute, and instructs the content acquisition unit 210 to acquire content when the specified time comes. To do. Further, in the case of the method of acquisition when the MFP 1 is activated, when the MFP 1 is activated, the CPU 21 of the operation unit 20 instructs the content acquisition unit 210 to acquire content.

  The specific setting method in the case of the method of acquiring at the specified time is as follows. First, when the administrator touches the “specify by time” check box of the timing type setting operation unit 2701a, a check mark is added to the check box. Is displayed. Next, when the administrator touches the time setting operation unit 2701b, the time can be input using the soft keyboard, and the time is input using the soft keyboard (“23: 0” in the example of FIG. 6). Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2701c, the setting of the content acquisition timing by the method of acquiring at a specified time is completed.

  In addition, a specific setting method in the case of the method acquired when the MFP 1 is activated is as follows. First, the administrator touches the “MFP activated” check box of the timing type setting operation unit 2701a, so that the check box is displayed. A check mark is displayed. Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2701c, the setting of the content acquisition timing by the method acquired when the MFP 1 is activated is completed.

  Next, setting of a server for acquiring content will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the server designation setting operation unit 2702 of the setting screen 270 includes an IP (Internet Protocol) address setting operation unit 2702a, a registration deletion selection operation unit 2702b, a server designation setting operation unit 2702c, and a setting execution button 2702d. Is displayed. The setting operation in the server designation setting operation unit 2702 by the administrator is realized by the server designation unit 2202.

  In the setting of the server that acquires the content, a server that permits or rejects the distribution of the content to the MFP 1 is designated. When designating a server that permits distribution of content to the MFP 1, first, an administrator can input an IP address using a soft keyboard by touching the IP address setting operation unit 2702a. Make input. Next, when the administrator touches the “add server registration” check box of the registration deletion selection operation unit 2702b, a check mark is displayed in the check box. Next, when the administrator touches the server designation setting operation unit 2702c, it becomes possible to input the name of the server using a soft keyboard. The appropriate name of the server can be selected using the soft keyboard so that the server characteristics can be easily understood. An input (“advertisement server 2” in the example of FIG. 6) is performed. Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2702d, the setting for designating a server that permits distribution of content to the MFP 1 is completed. Note that the setting of the server name may be omitted, in which case the IP address is treated as the server name.

  When a server that refuses distribution of content to the MFP 1 is specified, first, an administrator can touch the IP address setting operation unit 2702a to input an IP address using a soft keyboard. Next, the administrator uses the soft keyboard to input the IP address of a server that has already been designated as a server that permits content distribution. Next, when the administrator touches the “server deletion” check box of the registration deletion selection operation unit 2702b, a check mark is displayed in the check box. Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2702d, the setting for designating the server that refuses to distribute the content to the MFP 1 is completed. Actually, the above-described processing is performed by deleting the designated server from the list of servers that are already permitted to distribute the content of the MFP 1.

  Next, the setting of the display frequency according to the content type will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the display frequency setting operation unit 2703 of the setting screen 270 displays a number setting operation unit 2703 a and a setting execution button 2703 b. The setting operation in the display frequency setting operation unit 2703 by the administrator is realized by the display setting unit 2203.

  In the example of FIG. 6, the display frequency setting operation unit 2703 displays a list of servers that are set and registered by designating servers that are allowed to distribute content to the MFP 1 described above. As described above, in the present embodiment, the MFP 1 acquires content from the two servers of the external server 30 and the internal server 31. However, in FIG. Four servers (“in-house server 1”, “in-house server 2”, “advertising server 1”, and “advertising server 2”) are shown as examples to show that they can cope.

  The server having the name “in-house server 1 (head office notice)” corresponds to the in-house server 31 and is, for example, a server that distributes in-house notices from the head office for the entire company. A server having the name “in-house server 2 (in-office notification)” corresponds to the in-house server 31 and is a server that distributes in-house notice in the office. Servers with names “advertisement server 1” and “advertisement server 2” correspond to the external server 30 and are servers that distribute external information such as advertisements.

  On the right side of the server list displayed on the display frequency setting operation unit 2703, a number setting operation unit 2703a for inputting a display frequency (number of times) for each server is displayed. When setting the display frequency according to the type of content, first, the administrator can input the number of times using a soft keyboard by touching the number input field of the number setting operation unit 2703a. I do. In the example of FIG. 6, the display frequency of “in-house server 1 (head office notification)” is “2”, the display frequency of “in-house server 2 (office notification)” is “1”, “advertising server” The number of display frequencies of “1” is “0”, and the number of display frequencies of “advertising server 2” is “3”. That is, in the case of “advertising server 1”, the content is not displayed because it is “0 times”. Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2703b, the setting of the display frequency is completed according to the content type. The display frequency for each set content type is stored in the flash memory 24 of the operation unit 20.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the content type is set depending on which server the content is distributed from. Generally, since the server (external server) of the business operator that performs the advertisement distribution service and the internal server are separate servers, the display frequency for each content type can be easily set by setting the display frequency for each server.

  As long as the set display frequency is observed, the display order of content from each server may be changed as appropriate using random numbers or the like.

<Information display operation of information display system>
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an information display operation of the information display system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the display order table. The information display operation of the information display system 500 (particularly, the display control unit 230) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The display control unit 230 controls which content is displayed at which timing on the operation panel 27 of the operation unit 20. Specifically, the display control unit 230 refers to the display frequency for each content type stored in the flash memory 24 according to a predetermined user operation or the state of the MFP 1, and the content stored in the flash memory 24. Is displayed on the operation panel 27.

In the present embodiment, for example, the MFP 1 displays content on the operation panel 27 at the following timing.
(1) Timing when the user operates copying on the operation unit 20 (2) Timing when the user operates scanning on the operation unit 20 (3) Timing when the user approaches the MFP 1 (detected by a human sensor (not shown)) )
(4) Timing at which the operation unit 20 is activated (timing when power ON is detected)
(5) Timing to Return from Power Saving Mode (Sleep Mode) Needless to say, the timing at which content is displayed on the operation panel 27 is not limited to (1) to (5). Specific contents of the information display operation in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

<< Step S2301 >>
When an operation by the user described in (1) or (2) above is performed, the operation panel 27 notifies the display control unit 230 that an instruction to execute each function has been given.

<< Step S2302 >>
When a human sensor (not shown) detects that the user has approached the MFP 1 as described in (3) above, the human sensor notifies the display control unit 230 to that effect. When the power supply control unit (not shown) detects that the operation unit 20 is activated as described in (4) above, or when it is detected that the operation unit 20 has returned from the power saving mode as described in (5), This is notified to the control unit 230.

  In FIG. 7, steps S2301 and S2302 are illustrated for convenience. However, if any of the timings (1) to (5) described above occurs, the process may proceed to the next step S2303.

<< Step S2303 >>
The display control unit 230 confirms the display frequency for each content type. Specifically, the display control unit 230 requests the flash memory 24 to send a display frequency for each content type.

<< Step S2304 >>
The flash memory 24 sends the display frequency for each content type to the display control unit 230. For example, if the display frequency ratio between the content acquired from the external server 30 (external content) and the content acquired from the internal server 31 (internal content) is stored as X: Y, the display control unit 230 stores X: And the numerical value Y (times). The numerical values X and Y correspond to the display frequency for each content type set on the setting screen 270 shown in FIG. The display control unit 230 stores the acquired information in a temporary memory (not shown).

<< Step S2305 >>
The display control unit 230 requests the flash memory 24 to send the content number and content ID for each content type.

<< Step S2306 >>
The display control unit 230 acquires the number of contents and the content ID for each requested content type from the flash memory 24. Here, the content ID is ID information that is assigned to each content stored in the flash memory 24 without duplication and uniquely identifies each content. For example, the content acquisition unit 210 acquires M contents from the external server 30 and stores them in the flash memory 24 at the timing set by the timing setting operation unit 2701 described above, and stores each content stored in the flash memory 24. A1, A2,..., AM are assigned as content IDs to the content. Further, the content acquisition unit 210 acquires N contents from the in-house server 31 at the timing set by the timing setting operation unit 2701 described above, stores it in the flash memory 24, and stores it in the flash memory 24. B1, B2, ..., BN are assigned to each content as content IDs. In this case, the display control unit 230 acquires numerical values M and N as the number of contents for each content type from the flash memory 24, and A1, A2,..., AM, and B1, B2,.・ Acquire BN.

<< Step S2307 >>
The display control unit 230 determines the content display order from the acquired display frequency for each content type, the number of content for each content type, and the content ID. Specifically, the display control unit 230 determines that the ID number of the content IDs A1, A2,..., AM of the external content is according to the display frequency ratio X: Y between the external content and the internal content. X content IDs are selected in ascending order, and Y content IDs are selected in ascending order of ID numbers among B1, B2,... The display control unit 230 assigns a sequential number indicating the display order (display order number) to each selected content ID, and stores it in the memory in the display control unit 230 as data associating the display order number with the content ID. Remember.

  Then, the display control unit 230 again selects X content IDs from the content ID of the external content, and selects Y content IDs from the content ID of the internal content. At this time, the content ID selected by the display control unit 230 is selected from the content IDs next to the content ID selected last time. The display control unit 230 repeats this processing, and creates and stores a display order table 2301, which is a table in which display order numbers and content IDs are associated with each other, as shown in FIG. The number of content IDs that can be stored in the display order table 2301 is a finite number determined by the memory capacity of the display control unit 230, and is 100 in the example of FIG. The display control unit 230 ends the process of step S2307 when the display order number is stored in the display order table 2301 up to 100. Since the display order number stored in the display order table 2301 is 100, the content displayed for the 101st time returns to the display order number “1” and circulates repeatedly.

  A specific numerical value will be described as an example. The display frequency ratio is X: Y = 2: 1, the number of external contents acquired by the content acquisition unit 210 is M = 4 (content ID = A1 to A4), and the number of internal contents is N = 7 ( Content ID = B1 to B7). In this case, the display control unit 230 selects two external contents and one in-house content according to the display frequency ratio X: Y = 2: 1. Specifically, the display control unit 230 selects A1 and A2 which are two content IDs having a lower ID number from the content IDs of the external content, and the ID number having the younger ID number is selected from the content IDs of the internal content. B1 that is the content ID is selected. The display control unit 230 assigns 1 to 3 as display order numbers to the three selected content IDs, and associates the display order numbers with the content IDs in the display order table 2301 of the memory in the display control unit 230. Remember.

  Then, the display control unit 230 again selects two from the content ID of the external content, and selects one from the content ID of the internal content. At this time, the content ID selected by the display control unit 230 is selected from the content IDs next to the content ID selected last time. That is, A3 and A4 which are the next numbers of A1 and A2 selected last time are selected as the external content ID, and B2 which is the next number of B1 selected last time is selected as the internal content. Then, the display control unit 230 assigns 4 to 6 as display order numbers to the three selected content IDs, and displays data in which the display order numbers and the content IDs are associated with each other. 2301 is stored.

  As described above, for example, the content display order is determined by assigning 1 to 3 as display order numbers to the three selected content IDs A1, A2, and B1, respectively. Is not to be done. That is, as long as the set display frequency (in this case, X: Y = 2: 1) is observed, the display order of the content corresponding to the content IDs A1, A2, and B1 is appropriately changed using a random number or the like. May be.

<< Step S2308 >>
The display control unit 230 sends the created display order table 2301 (see FIG. 8) to the flash memory 24 for storage.

<< Step S2309 >>
Next, the display control unit 230 designates the content ID of the content to be displayed this time. In the specific example described above, for the first display, A1 whose display order number is “1” is designated.

<< Step S2310 >>
Then, the display control unit 230 causes the content corresponding to the designated content ID to be sent from the flash memory 24 to the operation panel 27.

<< Step S2311 >>
The operation panel 27 displays the content acquired from the flash memory 24.

<< Step S2312 >>
When the display of the designated content is completed, the operation panel 27 notifies the display control unit 230 of the display completion.

<< Step S2313 >>
The display control unit 230 causes the flash memory 24 to store a display history that the content corresponding to the display order number “1” has been displayed.

  The processes in steps S2301 to S2313 are executed only when the content is displayed for the first time after the MFP 1 downloads the content from the content management server. The processing of steps S2314 to S2323 described below is processing executed in the second and subsequent content display.

<< Step S2314 >>
When an operation by the user described in (1) or (2) above is performed, the operation panel 27 notifies the display control unit 230 that an instruction to execute each function has been given.

<< Step S2315 >>
When a human sensor (not shown) detects that the user has approached the MFP 1 as described in (3) above, the human sensor notifies the display control unit 230 to that effect. When the power supply control unit (not shown) detects that the operation unit 20 is activated as described in (4) above, or when it is detected that the operation unit 20 has returned from the power saving mode as described in (5), This is notified to the control unit 230.

  In FIG. 7, for the sake of convenience, steps S2314 and S2315 are shown, but when any of the timings (1) to (5) described above occurs, the process may proceed to the next step S2316.

<< Step S2316 >>
The display control unit 230 requests the flash memory 24 to send a display order (display order table 2301 shown in FIG. 8) and a display history (for example, a display order number corresponding to the content displayed last time).

<< Step S2317 >>
The flash memory 24 sends the display order and display history to the display control unit 230.

<< Step S2318 >>
The display control unit 230 determines the content to be displayed from the acquired display order and display history. Specifically, the display control unit 230 refers to the display history, specifies the display order number next to the display order number corresponding to the previously displayed content, and sets the content ID associated with the specified display order number. The content to be displayed is determined by specifying from the display order (display order table 2301).

<< Steps S2319 to S2323 >>
The processes in steps S2319 to S2323 are the same as the processes in steps S2309 to S2313 described above, respectively.

  As described above, in the information display system 500 according to the present embodiment, the display frequency can be set for each content type. As a result, content display can be realized in accordance with the set display frequency ratio. Further, by making it possible to set the display frequency on the information display device side, it is difficult to predict the content display time, and it is also easy for the information display device that cannot control the display frequency for each content type by means of scheduling. The display frequency for each type can be controlled.

  In the present embodiment, since the ratio of the display frequency is the ratio of the “number of times” of display, the ratio of the display frequency can be easily set. On the other hand, as a display frequency ratio, it may be possible to adopt a display “time” ratio. However, if content is to be displayed according to the display time ratio according to the content type, it is necessary to adjust the playback order in a complicated manner based on the display time of each content. For example, it is assumed that there are two external contents with a display time of 3 minutes and five minutes and internal contents with a display time of 1/7, and the ratio of the display time between the internal contents and the external contents is 2: 1. . In this case, if two external contents are displayed twice and displayed for 16 minutes, then if the internal contents are displayed for 7 minutes, the ratio of the display time will be 16: 7. 2: 1. For this reason, set an allowable error in the display time ratio (for example, if the error is within 3 minutes, the display time ratio may not be strictly observed), or the display time ratio is strictly In order to protect it, it is necessary to devise such as stopping the content halfway. On the other hand, if the ratio of the “number of times” of display is as in this embodiment, the handling becomes much easier.

  Note that the information display operation described above with reference to FIG. 7 uses the above timings (1) to (5) as a trigger to determine the order of content to be displayed, determine one content to be displayed, and display the content. I am going to do it. That is, each time a content display trigger occurs, one content is displayed according to the determined content display order. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more predetermined numbers of contents may be displayed according to the determined content display order. Alternatively, for example, the display order of the contents in the display order table 2301 during a predetermined time after executing the copying function or the scanning function, or after being detected by the human sensor, after starting the operation unit 20 or returning from the power saving mode. The content may be continuously displayed according to the above. In this case, when the display of the content is terminated halfway after the execution of the function or after a predetermined time has elapsed, the content that has been terminated halfway may be displayed again when the next trigger occurs.

  Further, as described above, external content and internal content are stored in the flash memory 24. However, storing the content itself increases the capacity. Therefore, the content itself may be stored in the external server 30 and the internal server 31, and only the link information (for example, URL) of the content may be stored in the flash memory 24.

<Modification>
A modification of the present embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the content type is determined based on the server from which the content is acquired (in FIG. 1, the external server 30 or the internal server 31). On the other hand, in the information display system according to this modification, the content type is determined by the content identification information given to each content based on the content content, regardless of which server the content is acquired from. judge. Since the basic operation is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, only the differences will be described.

  In this modification, each content downloaded from the external server 30 and the internal server 31 shown in FIG. 3 includes, for example, any one of two types of content identification information “1” indicating internal notification and “2” indicating advertisement. Is granted. Then, in steps S2305 and S2306 in the information display operation shown in FIG. 7, when the display control unit 230 acquires the content number and content ID for each content type from the flash memory 24, the content identification information indicating the content of each content is also included. Get together. If the content acquisition unit 210 is content to which the content identification information “1” of the internal notification is given, the content ID A1 is the content ID as the internal notification regardless of whether the content is acquired from the external server 30 or the internal server 31. , A2,..., AM. Similarly, the content acquisition unit 210 is a content ID as an advertisement regardless of whether it is acquired from the external server 30 or the internal server 31 if the content identification information “2” is given to the content. B1, B2,..., BN are assigned. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in the first embodiment described above.

  As a result, even when a plurality of types of content are mixedly stored in one server, it is possible to set the display frequency for each content type, that is, for each content content. In addition, this modification is applicable also to the information display system which concerns on the 2nd-4th embodiment mentioned later.

(Second Embodiment)
The information display system according to the second embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the configuration and operation of the information display system 500 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the display frequency is set by “number of times”. In this case, if there is content in the content for a long time compared to other content, as a result, the content type content to which the content belongs is displayed for a long time, and the display frequency of each content type is substantially displayed. It is assumed that the ratio is different from the setting. Therefore, in this embodiment, the upper limit of the display time of each content is set. Note that the overall configuration of the information display system according to the present embodiment, the hardware configuration and the software configuration of the MFP 1, and the block configurations of the operation unit 20 and the setting unit 220 are described in the information display system according to the first embodiment. The same as 500.

<Setting Operation by Setting Unit 220>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the layout configuration of the setting screen displayed on the operation panel of the MFP according to the second embodiment. The setting operation on the setting screen 270a will be described with reference to FIG.

  The administrator of the MFP 1 invokes the setting unit 220 by, for example, operating and inputting a predetermined administrator code on the operation panel 27 of the operation unit 20 to display the setting screen 270a shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the setting screen 270a includes a timing setting operation unit 2701 for setting content acquisition timing, a server designation setting operation unit 2702 for setting a server for acquiring content, and a content type. The display frequency setting operation unit 2703 for setting the display frequency and the display time upper limit setting operation unit 2704 for setting the upper limit of the content display time are displayed. The setting of the content acquisition timing, the setting of the server that acquires the content, and the setting of the display frequency according to the type of content are the same as in the first embodiment.

  The setting of the upper limit of content display time will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, a time setting operation unit 2704a and a setting execution button 2704b are displayed on the display time upper limit setting operation unit 2704 of the setting screen 270a. The setting operation by the administrator using the display time upper limit setting operation unit 2704 is realized by the display setting unit 2203 (second setting means).

  When setting the upper limit of the content display time, first, the administrator touches the upper limit time input field of the time setting operation unit 2704a, so that the upper limit time can be input using the soft keyboard. Input ("3 minutes" in the example of FIG. 9) is performed. Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2704b, the setting of the upper limit of the content display time is completed. The upper limit time is set in units of minutes, but may be set in units of hours or seconds.

<Information display operation of information display system>
The information display operation of the information display system according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but differences will be described.

  In the information processing operation illustrated in FIG. 7, in the content display operation in steps S <b> 2311 and S <b> 2321, the CPU 21 measures the elapsed time after the operation panel 27 starts displaying the content, using the timer function. When the CPU 21 determines that the upper limit time has elapsed during display after the operation panel 27 starts displaying the content, the CPU 21 notifies the display control unit 230 that the upper limit time has been exceeded. When the display control unit 230 receives notification from the CPU 21 that the upper limit time has been exceeded, the display control unit 230 causes the operation panel 27 to forcibly terminate the display of the current content.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the upper limit of the display time of one content can be set. Thereby, even when the display frequency ratio for each content type is set by the number of times on the setting screen 270a, it can be suppressed that the display frequency ratio for each content type is substantially different from the setting.

  As another method for controlling the display time of one content within the upper limit time set on the setting screen 270a, the content management server (external server 30 and internal server 31) has a display time longer than the set upper limit time. It is also possible to take a method that does not distribute content having Specifically, first, the external server 30 and the internal server 31 periodically acquire information on the upper limit time set on the setting screen 270a from one or a plurality of MFPs registered as content distribution destinations. When the content management server receives the content distribution request from the content acquisition unit 210, the content management server recognizes the display time from the content header or the like, and the upper limit time set in one or a plurality of MFPs registered as distribution destinations. Compare with As a result of the comparison, the content management server rejects the distribution of the content to the MFP satisfying (content display time)> (set upper limit time). As a result, all the content acquired by the content acquisition unit 210 is content having a display time that is less than or equal to the upper limit time set on the setting screen 270a, so that the display frequency ratio for each content type is substantially set. It is possible to suppress the difference.

(Third embodiment)
The information display system according to the third embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the configuration and operation of the information display system 500 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the display frequency ratio is based on a common set number of times at any of the timings (1) to (5) illustrated as described above. In the present embodiment, the display frequency can be set individually for each type of timing for displaying content. Note that the overall configuration of the information display system according to the present embodiment, the hardware configuration and the software configuration of the MFP 1, and the block configurations of the operation unit 20 and the setting unit 220 are described in the information display system according to the first embodiment. The same as 500.

<Setting Operation by Setting Unit 220>
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the layout configuration of the setting screen displayed on the operation panel of the MFP according to the third embodiment. The setting operation on the setting screen 270b will be described with reference to FIG.

  The administrator of the MFP 1 invokes the setting unit 220 by operating and inputting a predetermined administrator code on the operation panel 27 of the operation unit 20, for example, and displays the setting screen 270b shown in FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 10, the setting screen 270 b includes a timing setting operation unit 2701 for setting content acquisition timing, a server designation setting operation unit 2702 for setting a server for acquiring content, and a content type and timing. And a display frequency setting operation unit 2705 for setting the display frequency according to the above. The setting of the content acquisition timing and the setting of the server for acquiring the content are the same as in the first embodiment.

  The setting of the display frequency according to the content type and timing will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, a display frequency setting operation unit 2705 on the setting screen 270b displays a number setting operation unit 2705a, a timing selection operation unit 2705b, and a setting execution button 2705c. The setting operation by the administrator using the display frequency setting operation unit 2705 is realized by the display setting unit 2203.

  In the example of FIG. 10, the display frequency setting operation unit 2705 displays a list of servers that have been set and registered by designating servers that are allowed to distribute content to the MFP 1 described above. In the present embodiment, the MFP 1 acquires content from two servers, the external server 30 and the internal server 31, but FIG. 10 shows that it can easily cope with an increase in the number of servers. Four servers (“in-house server 1”, “in-house server 2”, “advertisement server 1”, and “advertisement server 2”) are illustrated. The function of each server is as described above in the first embodiment.

  When setting the display frequency according to the type and timing of the content, first, the administrator touches the timing display field of the timing selection operation unit 2705b to display each timing as a list (for example, pull-down display). Timing is selected (in the example of FIG. 10, “when scanning is performed”). The list display timing can be selected from predetermined timings such as “when scanning is performed”, “when copying is performed”, and “when starting”. Next, when the administrator touches the number input field of the number setting operation unit 2705a, the number of times can be input using a soft keyboard, and the number of times is input using the soft keyboard. In the example of FIG. 10, the display frequency of “in-house server 1 (head office notification)” is “2”, the display frequency of “in-house server 2 (office notification)” is “1”, “advertising server” The number of display frequencies of “1” is “0”, and the number of display frequencies of “advertising server 2” is “3”. That is, in the case of “advertising server 1”, the content is not displayed because it is “0 times”. The number of times of the input display frequency is the number of times set in association with the above selected timing “when scanning is performed”. That is, the display frequency for each content type can be individually set for each timing to be set.

  Then, when the administrator touches the setting execution button 2705c, the setting of the display frequency corresponding to the content type and timing is completed. The set display frequency for each type of content is stored in the flash memory 24 of the operation unit 20 in association with the selected timing.

<Information display operation of information display system>
The information display operation of the information display system according to the present embodiment (particularly the display control unit 230) is basically the same as the information display operation (see FIG. 7) of the information display system 500 according to the first embodiment. is there. Below, it demonstrates focusing on the point which is different from 1st Embodiment.

<< Step S2303 >>
The display control unit 230 checks the display frequency for each content type corresponding to the timing generated in step S2301 or S2302. Specifically, the display control unit 230 requests the flash memory 24 to send a display frequency for each content type corresponding to the generated timing.

<< Step S2304 >>
The flash memory 24 sends to the display control unit 230 the display frequency for each content type corresponding to the generated timing. For example, when the display frequency ratio between the external content and the internal content is stored as X: Y, the display control unit 230 acquires numerical values of X and Y (times). The numerical values X and Y correspond to the display frequency for each content type corresponding to the timing set on the setting screen 270b shown in FIG. The display control unit 230 stores the acquired information in a temporary memory (not shown).

  For example, if the timing generated in step S2301 or S2302 is “during copying” and the setting of the display frequency ratio corresponding to this timing is X: Y = 1: 1, the display control unit 230 The numerical values X = 1 and Y = 1 are acquired. In addition, when the generated timing is “at start-up”, when the display frequency ratio setting corresponding to this timing is X: Y = 5: 1, the display control unit 230 sets X = 5 and Y = Get the number 1.

<< Step S2307 >>
The display control unit 230 determines the content display order from the acquired display frequency for each content type corresponding to the generated timing, the number of content for each content type, and the content ID. Specifically, the display control unit 230 creates and stores a display order table 2301 for each generated timing by the method described above in the first embodiment.

<< Step S2316 >>
The display control unit 230 displays the display order (display order table 2301 shown in FIG. 8) corresponding to the generated timing and the display history (for example, the display order number corresponding to the previously displayed content) with respect to the flash memory 24. Request to send

  Other processes are the same as those shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the information display system according to the present embodiment, the display frequency can be set for each type of timing for displaying content and for each type of content. As a result, it is possible to control the frequency of content display more finely. For example, when the MFP 1 that is often performed in the early morning is activated, flexible settings such as preferential presentation of in-house content to employees are possible.

(Fourth embodiment)
The information display system according to the fourth embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the configuration and operation of the information display system 500 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the display frequency according to the content type is set on the information display apparatus (MFP 1) side. In the present embodiment, the display frequency is set on the content management server side. Note that the hardware configuration and software configuration of the MFP 1 of the present embodiment and the block configuration of the operation unit 20 are the same as those of the information display system 500 according to the first embodiment.

<Overall configuration of information display system>
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information display system according to the fourth embodiment. The overall configuration of the information display system 500a will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the information display system 500a includes an MFP 1, an external server 30, an internal server 31, and a PC 60 (information processing apparatus, first setting means). The MFP 1 and the PC 60 and the in-house server 31 are connected via a network such as an in-house LAN. The external server 30 and the internal server 31 are connected via a network such as the Internet.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the application layer 201 includes a copy UI application 201a, a facsimile UI application 201b, an energy saving return UI application 201c, and a signage client application 201d. Among these, the functions of the copy UI application 201a, the facsimile UI application 201b, and the energy saving return UI application 201c are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The signage client application 201d acquires (downloads) content from the in-house server 31, and selects and displays the content according to the state of the MFP 1. In addition, the signage client application 201d acquires the content of the external server 30 not via the external server 30 but via the internal server 31.

  Further, the setting unit 220 (see FIG. 5) of the operation unit 20 according to the present embodiment does not have the display setting unit 2203, and instead, the PC 60 has the function of the display setting unit 2203.

<Operation of internal server>
The in-house server 31 acquires and stores M external contents from the external server 30, and assigns A1, A2,. Further, the in-house server 31 assigns B1, B2,..., BN as content IDs to each of N pieces of in-house contents stored therein.

  It is assumed that the administrator sets the display frequency according to the content type, similar to the setting in the display frequency setting operation unit 2703 shown in FIG. In this case, the display frequency setting operation according to the content type by the administrator is realized by the function of the display setting unit 2203 of the PC 60.

  When the administrator sets the display frequency according to the content type in the PC 60, the PC 60 sends the display frequency for each content type to the in-house server 31. The in-house server 31 displays the display frequency for each content type acquired from the PC 60, the number of contents (M, N) and the content ID (A1, A2,..., AM, and B1, B2,. -The content display order is determined from BN). Specifically, the in-house server 31 creates and stores the display order table 2301 shown in FIG. 8 by the same method as step S2307 in FIG. When the in-house server 31 creates the display order table 2301, the display frequency for each content type, the number of contents for each content type (M, N), and the content ID (A1, A2,..., AM, and B1, B2,. ..., BN) and the display order table 2301 are transmitted to the MFP 1. The MFP 1 stores the information received from the in-house server 31 in the flash memory 24.

<Information display operation of information display system>
FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an information display operation of the information display system according to the fourth embodiment. In the present embodiment, as described above, the display order table 2301 is created in advance by the in-house server 31, and the MFP 1 displays the display frequency for each content type, the number of contents and the content ID for each content type, and the display order table. 2301 is acquired and stored in the flash memory 24. Therefore, the processing of steps S2303 to S2308, which was executed at the time of the first content display in FIG. Therefore, the information display operation by the information display system 500a of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in step S2314 and subsequent steps shown in FIG. 7 in both the first content display and the second and subsequent content display. Only the process is sufficient. That is, the processes in steps S2341 to S2350 shown in FIG. 12 are the same as the processes in steps S2314 to S2323 shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the display frequency according to the content type is set on the information display apparatus (MFP 1) side. In the present embodiment, on the content management server side. To do. As a result, when the user of the MFP 1 is not familiar with the display frequency setting operation, the display frequency can be set remotely (for example, a help desk), and convenience is improved.

  In the above description, only the display frequency is set according to the content type on the content management server side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the content acquisition timing is set and the content is acquired. The server may be set on the content management server side.

1 MFP
10 Body 11 CPU
12 ROM
13 RAM
14 HDD
15 Communication I / F
16 Connection I / F
17 Engine part 18 System bus 20 Operation part 21 CPU
22 ROM
23 RAM
24 Flash memory 25 Communication I / F
26 Connection I / F
27 Operation Panel 28 System Bus 30 External Server 31 Internal Server 40 Network 50 Communication Channel 60 PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Application layer 102 Service layer 103 OS layer 201 Application layer 201a Copy UI application 201b Facsimile UI application 201c Energy saving return UI application 201d Signage client application 202 Service layer 203 OS layer 210 Content acquisition unit 220 Setting unit 230 Display control unit 270, 270a, 270b Setting screen 500, 500a Information display system 2201 Timing setting unit 2202 Server designation unit 2203 Display setting unit 2301 Display order table 2701 Timing setting operation unit 2701a Timing type setting operation unit 2701b Time setting operation unit 2701c Setting execution button 2702 Server designation setting operation Part 2702a IP address setting operation part 2702b registration deletion selection operation part 2702c server designation setting operation 2702d Setting execution button 2703 Display frequency setting operation unit 2703a Number setting operation unit 2703b Setting execution button 2704 Display time upper limit setting operation unit 2704a Time setting operation unit 2704b Setting execution button 2705 Display frequency setting operation unit 2705a Number setting operation unit 2705b Timing selection operation Part 2705c Setting execution button

JP 2013-62662 A

Claims (10)

An information display system comprising a content management server storing content and one or more information display devices,
Obtaining means for obtaining the content distributed from the content management server;
Display means for displaying the content acquired by the acquisition means;
First setting means for setting a display frequency ratio for each content type;
Control means for causing the display means to display the content based on a ratio of the display frequency for each type of the content set by the first setting means;
An information display system.   The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the first setting unit sets a display frequency ratio as the display frequency ratio. Second setting means for setting an upper limit time for displaying one of the contents to be displayed on the display means;
Further comprising
The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops displaying the content when the display time of the content displayed by the display unit reaches the upper limit time.   The information display system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first setting unit sets a ratio of the display frequency for each type of content at a predetermined timing.   The information display system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the type of content is determined by which content management server is distributed from.   The information display system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the content type is determined by the content. Storage means for storing a display history of the content last displayed on the display means;
Further comprising
The information display system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit determines the content to be displayed on the display unit based on the display frequency ratio and the display history. An information processing apparatus comprising the first setting means and connected to the content management server;
The information display system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: An acquisition means for acquiring content distributed from a content management server;
Display means for displaying the content acquired by the acquisition means;
First setting means for setting a display frequency ratio for each content type;
Control means for causing the display means to display the content based on a ratio of the display frequency for each type of the content set by the first setting means;
An information display device comprising: Acquiring content distributed from a content management server;
Setting a display frequency ratio for each content type;
Displaying the content based on a ratio of the display frequency for each set content type;
An information display method comprising:

Images